After a last few hours of preparing, they were ready, and at first no one made a move for the door. Then Sam sighed and slowly got to his feet, throwing one of Devon's leather bags over his shoulder. "Well, I guess we should go pretend to make music. Everyone knows their places?" He gazed around the table, his expression solemn. Natalie wasn't sure, but she thought he purposefully avoided eye contact with her.

"Edward attempts to get into the barracks, looking for a game of cards." Jewels ticked it off on her fingers. "Loose lips over drinks sink ships, or palaces in this case. Kira will be meeting with her informants, Sam, you and Natalie will find the kitchens and see if you can find information on Natalie's mother, or any rumours that the staff may have heard before heading up to the north tower. I and the rest of our fine crew will be pretending to set up, and spying on the soldiers in charge of the vendors."

"And don't forget the most important part." Sam raised his brows at Jewels, and she grinned.

"How could I?" She dipped into her pocket and took out a fist-sized roll of fabric, unrolling it on the table. There were a number of tiny, glittering jewels wrapped within.

Natalie leaned forward. "What are those?"
"Truth stones." Jewels plucked a few from the table and handed them out, one to each person. When Natalie received hers, she let it lie in the center of her palm, keeping her hand still. It was so small she was afraid she might drop it and lose it in the cracks of the floor. It was beautiful though, deep red, and though it was small it caught the light and glittered fiercely.

"You slip that into someone's drink or food, and it will loosen their lips, no alcohol needed, and considerably more effective. They'll say stuff they shouldn't be saying." Jewels snapped her fingers. "Just like that, you've got all their secrets. And it's small enough that they won't know they've swallowed it. It's more effective in drink though, than food. With food you risk someone breaking their teeth rather than telling you all."

"They key is going to be finding someone it won't be wasted on," Sam said. "Edward will have the best chance in the barracks, but if anyone else gets a chance, give it to a soldier."

They all nodded, and Natalie quickly checked that no one was looking before she slipped the truth stone into the top of her bra. She needed quick access to the necklace if she was going to use it to get her mother out, and it would be less likely she'd need the stone.

The thought filled her with guilt. No matter what Sam thought, this was more important. This was why she'd come here, to find her mother.

They went downstairs in groups, and Kira, Sam and Natalie were the last to leave. They were silent, listening to the sounds of footsteps receding, before Sam got up.

"Alright, let's go."

Kira and Natalie trailed after him, down the stairs. "You know," Kira said, addressing his broad back. "I'm happy to take Natalie to the kitchens after I meet with the contacts. It might look less suspicious, since we did come together as silk merchants. Right?"

"That will take extra time." Sam didn't turn around, so his voice was a little distant, and Natalie hurried down the last couple steps to keep up with them. "I need you concentrating on news from your contacts. Besides, Natalie will be safer with me."

Kira pursed her lips. She didn't look happy, but she didn't say anything. Natalie could feel her face glowing slightly. She was both flustered and irritated by this, though unsure if she was just overreacting. Did he think she couldn't manage herself? She already knew she was going to just pretend she had come looking for food, or pretend that she'd gotten lost in the corridors.

Kira gave her an amused look. "Okay, sure. No problem."

When they got out onto the street they joined a flood of people heading toward the palace. Many of them were the same vendors that Natalie and Kira had seen before, though there were more this time. After they passed through the gates, Kira lead them past the row of booths, where the vendors had begun setting up.

They passed through a wide stone archway, following a smaller trickle of people through, into the courtyard. Natalie gaped around as they moved toward a second gate. She and Kira hadn't been this far, had set up their booth just outside of it. Inside, there was a second fountain, much like the one they'd seen before, only this one was much larger. The stone woman in the center was the same black color as the palace. She stood at least ten feet tall, a giant towering over the nervous vendors passing under her outstretched arms. Natalie frowned up at the statue, which stood glowering down, a solemn look on it's stony features. A pair of huge wings spread from her back, and on her brow sat a glittering black crown, its spikes as jagged as the towers of the castle.

She pressed her lips together tightly, swallowing the comment she wanted to make. The queen was clearly a fan of herself. Perhaps she had statues of herself all over the palace.

In front, Kira had slowed down. She turned back to the others, brows creased, and Natalie saw what she'd been looking at. The second gate was patrolled by a pair of grim-faced soldiers in black coats, and they were checking something as the other vendors went in. Natalie watched as a woman towing a wooden cart paused at the gate and showed the guard a slip of white paper. He squinted down at it, and then stepped back and waved her through, his face disinterested.

"Shit," she hissed at them. "I completely forgot we'd need a pass to get inside. Are your contact coming to meet you?"

Sam frowned. "Devon should be here. Are you telling me you two aren't going to be able to get inside?"

"I don't know." Kira smoothed pressed a finger to her temple, features twisted in frustration. "Jethro didn't say—" her face smoothed over with relief suddenly, and Natalie looked up to see Jethro striding through the gate. "Thank the gods."

When he reached them, Jethro gave them a critical once over. He was wearing a long, blood red silk jacket that set off his dark skin just right, and Natalie suddenly felt underdressed in spite of how ridiculously lavish she'd thought her coat was only hours before.

Jethro made a non-committal noise in the back of his throat and then sighed. "I guess you'll do." He glanced up at Sam briefly and shook his head. "I hope you're not expecting me to get tall-blond-and-angry here in, I've only signed you two up."

"No he's fine." Kira was already starting toward the gate, and Jethro turned and followed, his hands in his pockets. Natalie moved to join them, and then stopped as Sam reached out and caught her arm. "Hey." His voice was low, and when Natalie turned she found him standing very close. Again, she caught the scent of pine and woodsmoke. She had to tip her face up slightly to look him in the eye, and then she almost wished she hadn't. He was looking at her so earnestly, his tawny eyes serious and fixed on her face. His fingers felt hot on her arm, even through the thin silk sleeve of the jacket, and Natalie could feel her cheeks starting to flush.

"I don't feel good about this, being separated." He hesitated, reaching into his pocket. "Do me a favor and take one of these, okay?"

He was holding out a silver cuff, a bracelet studded with glittering red jewels. Natalie blinked at it. "What is it?"

"Jewels gave it to me." Sam pushed up his sleeve, revealing a similar silver cuff on his arm. "It's if you get separated. If you get in trouble, just tap it three times." He smoothed a fingertip over one of the jewels in her bracelet. Natalie's face was getting hotter, he was still holding onto her wrist with his other hand. "Mine will glow, and it will glow brighter the closer I get to you. Use it if you need me."

"Thanks," Natalie muttered, darting a quick look behind her. Kira was shifting impatiently beside the gate.

Sam was still looking at her with that earnest expression. "Wait for me once you get in, okay? No matter what Kira says. Please?"

It was a question for once, instead of some kind of stern order for her own good. And he looked so concerened that for a moment she considered apologizing for the other night, for the non-fight they'd had. Then again, she hadn't changed her mind, so...Instead she nodded. "I will, don't worry."

She started when Kira hissed at her from a few feet away, and turned away from Sam, toward the gate, feeling her stomach flip. She wasn't sure if that was from his grip on her arm, or at the fact that they were marching into enemy territory. Maybe both.

Sam released her arm, and she hurried over to Kira, who looped her arm into Natalie's and practically dragged her after Jethro. They joined him at the gate, where he was showing the unimpressed-looking soldier the slip of paper in his hand. The guard glanced from the paper to Jethro, and then raked his gaze over first Kira, and then Natalie. Here he lingered a little, and Natalie felt her stomach flip for the second time. She felt like any minute now he was going to call for her arrest, or question her, or make some kind of move toward her. She tensed, but he only gave a grunt of approval and said, "Nice jackets, ladies. Are you selling them inside?"

Flooded with relief, Kira gave him her biggest smile. "Yes, absolutely. Come by the booth later and I'll show you all our finest silks."

"For sure." The guard stepped back and waved them through, and Natalie's shoulder's slumped in relief, as she shuffled after Jethro and Kira. They passed through the gate and into a third courtyard, and again Natalie found herself staring around, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. The entire third courtyard was an elaborate rose garden. They were white roses climbing thin lattice fences along the walls, and beds of yellow roses in row after row, and in the center of it all a stone gazebo was covered in ropey vines with tiny pink buds. It was beautiful, and yet there was something vaguely unnerving about the entire thing. Maybe it was because Natalie could feel a familiar tingling sensation over her skin, the feeling that made her itch and want to rub her arms.

Magic. This place was crawling with it.

She paused in the courtyard for a moment, both because here would be a perfect place to wait for Sam, and to take the garden in. Many of the other vendors had paused here as well, and there were a fair-sized group standing in the center of the courtyard gaping around with as much shock on their faces as Natalie felt. At least she wasn't the only one.

Beside her she could feel Kira shifting. The princess was looking around at the garden impatiently. Of course, Natalie realized, she had seen all of this before, none of it would be new to a palace informant.

"Why are they taking so long?" Kira muttered. "Devon should have met them by now and she should have a pass. They shouldn't be held up for this long."

As if in answer there came a shout and a scuffling sound from somewhere behind them, and Natalie turned, heart in her throat. At the gates, three soldiers had gathered, though she could only see the backs of them. They were wrestling with a dark, skinny figure all in black, who was shouting furiously. His voice reached them even in the courtyard, something about how the soldiers were animals and traitors. Natalie winced. She couldn't see the figure clearly but she was fairly sure it was Edward's voice.

Kira's voice in her ear made Natalie jump. "Inside now. He could blow this for all of us." She grabbed Natalie's sleeve, dragging her toward the entrance to the palace. Natalie looked back once, heart in her throat, anxiety clawing at her chest. What had happened to make Edward snap like that? It was true, he wasn't the most even-tempered, but something must have been serious to make him react that way and risk spoiling the entire mission.

Reluctantly, she let Kira drag her through the tall, peaked archway and into the interior of the black palace. The entrance room was huge, with high, vaulted ceilings that echoed their footsteps back at them. It was crowded with vendors already, many of them passing through with hand held carts, or makeshift wheelbarrows.

"They'll all be heading for the great hall." Kira had to raise her voice over the commotion. "Come on, we'll meet Sam there if he comes."

If he comes. Natalie's chest felt tight, and she bit the tip of one nail, nerves chewing at her stomach. What if they'd all been arrested? She couldn't shake the memory of Sam's earlier warning now, how he'd said that the queen could get anything out of you, that you wouldn't be able to hold secrets back from her. What if they questioned Sam and Edward and they were forced to tell the soldiers about Natalie and Kira? They might only have minutes left before they were discovered.

Kira was moving with the others now, down a long, open hallway. Here the walls were made of black stone, just like the rest of the castle, but it was made brighter by tiny globes of silvery light that hung from the ceiling on delicate silver chains. Again, she felt the shiver of magic across her skin every time she passed under one of them, and Natalie's arms were covered in goosebumps by the time they reached the end of the hallway. It opened up into a huge, high-ceilinged room that had to be twice the size of the entrance hall they'd first walked into. It was grandly done, the entrance a sweeping archway of black marble, the windows draped in black and red silks. There were six enormous, towering pillars of marble on each side of the room, each as thick around as tree trunks, and while the entrance hall had been mostly empty, this room was filled to the walls with all manner of people, and just as noisy as the open-air marketplace had been. There were stalls set up everywhere across the slick floor. Stalls full of silk and satin, and booths of jewelry, stands of hats and scarves, and even one man who had set up a booth in the corner with what looked like an assortment of exotic animals in cages. Natalie paused at this, gawking at a creature in the nearest cage which looked like a cross between a bat and a lizard. Kira tugged her along after this, impatient. Probably she was thinking the same thing Natalie had been earlier, that they might be running out of time.